As the regular season approaches its end, the Oklahoma City Thunder are officially preparing for another playoff run. The time of year we've all anxiously awaited is on the doorstep.
With just eight games remaining in the regular season, the Thunder are largely in good shape to take a shot at a repeat. Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are healthy, and both are clicking on the offensive end. They have emerging role players in Cason Wallace and Jared McCain whose unique skill-sets can help propel Oklahoma City through some of their tougher matchups.
If they can hang onto the one seed in the West through this final stretch, they will be in prime position to accomplish the impossible in the modern NBA.
But with how competitive the Western Conference is shaping up to be (and the additional threats the Eastern Conference will pose), they'll need all hands on deck. Thankfully, there aren't many players on their roster going who don't seem to be in top form.
Aaron Wiggins, however, has struggled from beyond the arc over the past couple of months. If they want to maximize their shot at another championship, Wiggins will need to find his game again.
Aaron Wiggins is one of the Thunder's most vital role players, and they need him in top shape heading into the playoffs
The star power of the Thunder is largely unmatched across the NBA. But it was the depth of their roster and Mark Daigneault's ability to implement their rotational combinations acutely that allowed them to overcome the adversity they faced in last year's playoffs.
It goes almost without saying that Wiggins was absolutely vital in this effort. Although he received a diet of just 13.8 minutes through last season's playoff run, he averaged six points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while knocking down 36.5% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Since Feb. 1, however, Wiggins has gone cold. In that stretch, he's sinking just 30.9% of his 3-point attempts.
The Thunder have other shooters, namely Jared McCain and Isaiah Joe, who can soften the impact of this development. Oklahoma City isn't the best 3-point shooting team in the league, but their offensive structure is dependent upon their complementary scorers being able to hit their open shots.
Wiggins is shooting 39.6% this season on wide-open threes, but he's shooting just 30% on 3-pointers where his defender is between two and four feet away.
Wiggins' defensive impact makes him absolutely vital to keep in the rotation and makes him a more versatile piece than McCain and Joe. The Thunder, therefore, need him at the top of his game heading into the playoffs.
They're rapidly running out of time for him to get there.